


First Holiday with the Amicitas

by StephirothWasTaken



Series: Steph's 25 Days of Christmas Fics Challenge [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Child Gladiolus Amicitia, Child Noctis Lucis Caelum, Child Prompto Argentum, Christmas Fluff, Deaf Character, Disabled Character, Gen, Holidays, Prompto got adopted by the Amicitias instead of Cor, Secret Santa, The Empire was extra mean to Prompto in this one, The author is terrible at titles, matching sweaters, mute character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-01
Updated: 2019-12-01
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:34:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21635929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StephirothWasTaken/pseuds/StephirothWasTaken
Summary: It should have felt easy enough for Noctis to pick out something for a boy his age. King’s Knight and ’Lil Malbuddy were popular shows in Insomnia, and Noctis woul dhave loved to get something from either of them...But he has no idea if a deaf and mute kid could like something like that.
Relationships: Noctis Lucis Caelum & Prompto Argentum, Noctis Lucis Caelum & Regis Lucis Caelum
Series: Steph's 25 Days of Christmas Fics Challenge [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1559509
Comments: 2
Kudos: 81





	First Holiday with the Amicitas

**Author's Note:**

> I decided to challenge myself by posting a FFXV fic every day until Christmas, and I’ve taken it as an opportunity to write something for an AU I have been wanting to write about for a while but haven’t gotten to or even just abandoned.
> 
> This one is based on an AU where Prompto had his hearing and voice taken away from him as a baby, and instead of Cor adopting him (as many, including myself have written fics for), I had him become an Amicita.
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

Noctis had become less excited about being someone’s secret santa when he had pulled out the name of a boy he had never met before: Prompto.

He had heard that Uncle Clarus had adopted a little boy, one that was closer to Noct’s age than to Clarus’s biological son Gladio, but he had never met either of Clarus’s children. This Shiva’s Solstice was going to be his first time meeting any of the Amicitias other than Clarus, and when he had stuck his hand into a hat full of names, he had hoped he would take out Ignis, Uncle Clarus, or his father’s name.

It should have felt easy enough to pick out something for a boy his age. _King’s Knight_ and _’Lil Malbuddy_ were popular shows in Insomnia, and his chances of getting the boy something he liked was high with that.

That was if a deaf and mute kid could like something like that.

“He can still enjoy such things, Noctis,” Regis had said when Noctis had expressed his concerns to his father. “It might surprise you how much you two have in common with each other.”

Still, Noctis was apprehensive as he placed his present, which Ignis had wrapped for him, under the huge pine tree in the royal chambers’ main sitting room. He had no idea _what_ Prompto liked. 

Regis ruffled Noctis on the head after Noctis sat next to him on the sofa. He ducked his head away from his father’s hand, and he pouted as he fixed his hair.

“How are you feeling, my son?” Regis asked.

“Okay. Why can’t Ignis be here?”

“He’s spending time with his family.”

“Why can’t he spend time with his family here, too?”

“They are spending time with people they don’t get to see very often.”

Noctis continued to pout. He swung his feet back and forth as he waited for their guests to arrive.  
“Don’t worry,” Regis said. “I think you will get along just fine with Gladio and Prompto.”

“I’m not worried.”

Regis chuckled, but before he said anything more, the doors opened, revealing Clarus wearing a sweater with a big pine tree on the front. Noctis bit his lip as laughter bubbled up his throat, but Regis outright laughed at him.

“Clarus, you look stunning,” Regis said, cackling.

“I know,” Clarus said, smirking.

A tall woman wearing a matching sweater that stretched over her protruding belly—pregnant with a little girl Clarus had bragged to just about everyone a month ago—walked in behind him, hand in hand with Clarus. She was beautiful with long dark brown hair that flowed past her butt.

Two boys came in wearing sweaters that matched their parents’, and they could not appear any more the opposite of each other. The boy that Noctis assumed was Gladiolus was huge for an eight-year-old, and he looked the most similar to his mother with his dark brown hair and identical eyes. The other boy was blond with sky blue eyes and freckles, and he was so small—or rather was so curled into himself that he looked so _tiny_ compared to Gladiolus.

Clarus shut the doors behind them, and then he placed a hand on his wife’s back. She bowed as far as her large belly would allow her.

“Your Majesty,” she said. “Your Highness.”

“Noctis,” Regis said, “this is Clarus’s wife Dahlia.”

“Nice to meet you,” Noctis mumbled.

“He’s a very handsome boy, Your Majesty.”

“Aw, yes, because he inherited my looks.”

Noctis rolled his eyes at that, but Dahlia chuckled as she straightened. She took a seat across from them, and Clarus sat next to her. He urged his two sons to come forward. Gladiolus grabbed Prompto by the elbow. The smaller boy looked up at him with wide eyes, and Gladiolus made a motion with his hands—sign language, Noctis assumed. They both stepped closer and bowed.  
“Your Majesty,” Gladiolus said, “Your Highness, forgive my brother for not showing the same courtesy to you, but he can’t speak.”

“No need to be so polite,” Regis said, chuckling. “We’re all family here.”

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty.”

“Noctis, this is Gladiolus, your future Shield, and Prompto. I hope you come to think of them both as dear friends someday.”

“Nice to meet you, too,” Noctis mumbled again.

Gladiolus tapped Prompto on the shoulder, and he made more signs to Prompto, who nodded and climbed onto the couch next to Dahlia, who wrapped an arm around him. Then Gladiolus hopped onto the couch next to his father.

Servants came to bring in hot chocolate, with extra whipped cream for the sweet-toothed Lucis Caelums, and snacks for them to eat while they took a moment to chat. Prompto, who wore hearing aids to help him communicate with people, looked at everyone as they spoke, eyes darting around in an attempt to keep up.

He looked scared out of his mind while he sat there, pressed into his mother’s side.

“Noctis,” Regis said when there was a lull in the boring conversation, “would you mind helping Gladiolus pass around the presents?”

It was phrased as a suggestion, but it was really a command, something he had learned the hard way when he was younger.

“Okay,” Noctis said as he slid off the couch.

He and Gladiolus both ran to the tree, and the older boy was large enough to carry more than one present in his hands. It made the passing of presents much easier and faster.

The one with Noctis’s name on it was long and lightweight, and it was wrapped in gold and white paper. It had Clarus’s familiar handwriting on the tag, but he had no idea if it was from Clarus or if he had just been the one to write his name on it.

“Now, let our guests open their gifts first, Noctis,” Regis said.

Gladiolus tore into his present without hesitation. It was a stack of boring books, but the older boy bounced on his butt as he looked at them. He was careful with them as he set them next to him, and then he slid off the couch to throw his arms around his mother.

“I didn’t even know you could still find copies of those!” he shouted. “Mom, thank you! Thank you!”  
Dahlia laughed, and she returned the hug.

“I’m glad you like them, my little flower.”

Noctis bit back a laugh at the nickname, but it got him wondering what his mother would have called him had she lived. It probably would have been something embarrassing, too.

Prompto looked at the present in his hands like it was a bomb or something. It was about as large as he was. The black and gold wrapping paper was proof that it had come from one of the Lucis Caelums, and Noctis thought that might have been the reason for the boy’s fear.

Dahlia, whose older son had gone back to his father’s side, tapped his little shoulder, and she used some sign language, mouthing the words. It looked like she was telling him to open it, and with his eyes still wide, Prompto ripped into it, revealing a big yellow baby chocobo plushie wearing some armor, like in _King’s Knight_.

Prompto’s transformation was hilarious. A wide grin spread across his face, and he wrapped both of his arms and legs around the box and the stuffed toy. The strange guttural squeal he made was unsettling at first, but with his voice box broken, there was no reason to tell him so. Noctis wondered if the boy even knew he was making the sound.

Everyone chuckled, including Noctis, who glanced at his father. Regis gave him a reassuring pat on his arm.

Dahlia tapped Prompto on the shoulder when he stopped hugging his chocobo to look at it again, and she made more signs to him. The wide-eyed look of fear came back to him, and his large blue eyes darted from Noctis and Regis. He had to be trying to figure out who his present was from, and he had likely already guessed that the fancy handwriting on his present meant that it was not Noctis that had written his name on it.

Prompto held out his right hand flat and palm-down in front of him, and then he tapped the hand twice with the palm of his left, pointing all four fingers straight down both times. Dahlia smiled and nodded. The blond boy slid off the couch, keeping his chocobo close to him, and stepped closer to Noctis and bowed. When he straightened, he touched his chin and motioned toward him.  
It was “thank you,” the only word he had ever learned of sign language.

Noctis smiled and nodded when the boy straightened. He wanted to say something to him, but he had no idea how.

Prompto flashed him another big grin, and he skipped back to his mother’s side. He immediately went to work on taking his new chocobo out of the box.

Regis urged Noctis to go next, despite two of their guests not yet opening their own presents, but Noctis was not going to argue. He shredded the wrapping paper, revealing a box with a cartoonish version of a green tentacled swamp monster. Underneath it read “‘Lil Malbuddy Tenebrae Special Edition.”

Noctis gasped. He was far more gentle with the box than he had been with the wrapping paper as he ran his fingers around the sides in search of a way to open the box. Inside was first a special edition comic that had only been released in a special store only available in Tenebrae. There was also a special key-chain, movie disc, and T-shirt.

Noctis had thought he had known everything about _’Lil Malbuddy_ , but he had not even known this edition existed.

Noctis gave a very unprincely squeal. He guessed that the present came from Clarus, and he let out a torrent of “thank yous” while clutching his new favorite things to his chest. All of the adults chuckled at him. Gladiolus looked like he didn’t get it, just like Noctis had not understood his happiness over boring books. Prompto just had a wide smile on his face as he clutched his armored chocobo to his chest, and Noctis had no idea if the blond had been paying attention to him at all.

Clarus and Regis decided that Dahlia should go next. It was another black and gold package, the only one left to be opened, and it was no surprise to anyone that it was from Regis. It was a small box, like those he had seen necklaces packaged in, and when she pulled off the paper with more consideration than Noctis thought paper deserved—just like Ignis always did, the nerd—she revealed it was a necklace. It was made of platinum, and the pendant was a heart with gems of three different colors.

“Your Majesty, this is beautiful,” Dahlia gasped. “These are diamonds, but I can’t tell what the other two are.”

“Amethysts and opals,” Regis explained. “They’re birthstones for each of your children, including the who I believe is due late enough in the month that she won’t make me have to have the amethysts changed to something else.”

“Oh, Regis, thank you! Clare, help me put this on.”

Clarus did help her place the necklace around her neck, and when it was done, he placed a kiss on her neck right above it. She turned to give him a proper kiss.

Both Gladiolus and Noctis gagged.

It was Clarus’s turn. He looked at the tag with his name on it.

“I believe this is from Gladio,” he said, smiling at his oldest son.

“Yes, sir.”

Clarus ripped into the paper. It was another boring book, older than dirt by the looks of it, but Clarus was happy with it, bringing his son into a tight hug.

Then, everyone turned to the last present, wrapped in gold and white paper, and it rested in Regis’s hand.

“Ah, yes, the last present,” Regis said, “and it’s from our dear Prompto.”

Noctis looked at Prompto. The bright smile he had been wearing faded, and he had that look of terror on his face again. Dahlia held him close to her side, and he squeezed his new chocobo toy.  
Noctis did not envy him. On his father’s last birthday, he had struggled to find something for his father, as well, because the man had _everything_ he could ever want.

Just as delicate with the paper as Dahlia had been, Regis pulled away the wrapping paper. At first, Noctis thought it was another book, but then he noticed that there was some decoration to it, like he had done for an art project with his tutors before. Inside were some pictures with more decorations on them. Noctis leaned closer to his father to get a better look at them.

“Prompto has gotten into art recently,” Clarus explained, “and he got a hold of a camera and demanded that he go all around Insomnia to take pictures. He filled ten rolls in one trip.”  
Regis smiled as he looked through the pictures. He looked up at Prompto, who stared at him through wide eyes, and then he made the hand gesture for “thank you.” He asked Clarus how to say “It’s beautiful,” and he repeated the sign to Prompto.

The little blond boy sank into the couch, and he hid behind the chocobo. His face turned as bright as a tomato, making his freckles stand out starkly.

Regis chuckled. He made sure to look at every single picture before he decided it was time to chat with his Shield and friend. More servants came to give them more drinks and snacks. Noctis was stuffing chocolate candies into his mouth when Regis urged Noctis to sit with Gladiolus and Prompto.

Noctis looked at the two boys, who were signing with each other. He pouted because he had been happy eating while sitting next to his father, and now his father wanted to speak to these two strangers, one of whom he had no idea how to communicate with.

Regis chuckled, and he ruffled Noctis’s hair, earning a swat from him.

“You’ll need to get to know them eventually, my son,” he said, “and besides, don’t you want to show off your presents?”

Noctis had planned to brag all about it to Ignis when he got back. The older boy liked to pretend he was not interested in some of the “childish” things that Noctis liked, but sometimes he would catch a glint of excitement in his whenever they spoke about _‘Lil Mabuddy_. He was going to be jealous for sure.

“Go on, Noctis,” Regis urged. “There’s no reason to be nervous.”

“I’m not nervous.”

Regis pushed on his back, eyes crinkling as he smiled at him. Noctis sighed as he slipped off the couch. He tucked his present under one arm, and he grabbed a snack cake to eat as he approached the two younger Amicitias.

They both looked at him. Prompto gave him a big grin, and his freckles darkened as his face turned red. He squeezed his chocobo to his chest. Gladiolus half-bowed to Noctis. 

“Your Highness,” the older boy greeted.

“You don’t have to call me that,” Noctis said as he sat on the coffee table to make sure he was always facing Prompto.

“But you’re the prince.”

The older boy was pouting. It was funny coming from a kid who looked several years older than he really was.

“Your dad doesn’t call my dad ‘Your Majesty.’”

“Yeah, but that’s different. They knew each other when they were babies.”

“But it’s weird. Only my nanny calls me that and she’s _old_.”

Prompto waved to get Gladiolus’s full attention, and he spoke to him in sign language. He made the same sign he had made to Dahlia when they had been opening presents, but it was annoying that he had no idea what the blond was saying.

“He’s just yelling at me about calling you something you don’t like,” Gladiolus said, and he gave Prompto’s shoulder a gentle nudge.

“What’s this sign mean?” Noctis asked as he mimicked the gesture he had noticed making twice now. “I noticed him make it a couple of times.”

“It means ‘night.’ It’s what we call you because it’s easier than spelling it out, and ‘king’ and ‘prince’ are really similar. Sometimes we get them confused.”

“What are those signs?”

For “king,” Gladiolus made a peace sign, but he pressed the side of his index finger flat against the top of his chest with the middle finger pointing down. He kept his fingers the same as he moved them to his hip. The sign for “prince” was similar, but he turned his fingers so the index pointed down as he touched his hip.

Noctis mimicked them to make sure he got them right, and Prompto gave him a beaming smile as he clutched his chocobo to his chest.

“He really likes that chocobo, doesn’t he?” Noctis said.

“Chocobos are his favorite animal,” Gladiolus explained. “He also really likes _King’s Knight_ , so it was kind of perfect for him.”

Prompto gave them an emphatic nod, and Noctis wondered how much his face ached from smiling so long.

Then, what Gladiolus said clicked in his brain.

“Oh, you like _King’s Knight_?” Noctis exclaimed.

After more emphatic nodding from Prompto, Gladiolus was stuck interpreting a conversation he had little interest in, occasionally having difficulty figuring out how to translate the words they were saying.

It was as Gladiolus was trying to figure out how to tell Prompto about the antics of the dwarves in the crystal mines terrorizing people trapped in a time loop when Clarus announced it was time for the Amicitas to return home. Both Prompto and Noctis pouted, but Gladiolus looked relieved.  
Noctis wanted to be offended because Gladiolus was boring while he definitely wasn’t, but he also felt bad for making him do so much work. His dad had always told him he had to appreciate people who did things for him, especially without complaining.

He stood from the coffee table, and he stuck out his hand to Gladiolus, whose eyes widened in surprise at the gesture.

“It was nice meeting you, Gla-Gladi—”

“Just Gladio is fine, Your Highness.”

“Gladio, and thank you for helping me talk with Prompto. I had a really good time.”

“I was happy to help, Your Highness.”

Noctis turned to Prompto, and he stuck out his hand to him. The blond boy grinned as he took his hand and shook it with too much enthusiasm. It made Noctis and Gladio both laugh.

“And it was nice meeting you, too. I really hope you liked your present.”

Prompto gave his chocobo plushie a big squeeze in answer.

A hand fell onto Noctis’s shoulder, and he looked up and found his father smiling at him.

“Be sure to say goodbye to your aunt and uncle, too,” Regis said.

When Noctis approached Clarus, the tall man crouched down and spread his arms, and Noctis flung his arms around him.

“The present was amazing!” he exclaimed. “Thank you so much!”

“Happy Shiva’s Day, Noctis,” Clarus said, chuckles rumbling through his chest.

Noctis remembered to be much more gentle with Dahlia as she drew him into a hug.

“I hope you and my sons get to become good friends someday, Your Highness,” she said.  
“Will they come around more often?” he asked.

“Once their sister is born, I think they’ll definitely want out of the house more often, so you most likely will.”

Noctis felt his mouth stretch into a smile at the thought of having someone to sit around and play games with. He tried to play games with his nannies, but they were never any fun.

Regis rested his hand on Noctis’s hair, and he handed Noctis the box full of special edition _’Lil Malbuddy_ goodies. Noctis grinned as he took it from his father. The two of them left to go to a more private sitting room in the Royal Chambers.

“Hey, Dad?” Noctis said as he climbed up onto a chair, holding the _’Lil Malbuddy_ box on his lap.

“Yes, my son?”

“Do you think Ignis know any sign language?”

Regis turned in his own chair to face Noctis.

“That poor boy has a lot on his plate, but I don’t think sign language is on it. Are you interested in learning it?”

“Yeah, I think I made Gladio really tired when I was talking to Prompto, and it would be nice to understand him better.”

“I see. I’ll look into hiring a tutor for you—”

“And Ignis, right?”

“If he so desires.”

“Ignis hates when he doesn’t know something, so I think he definitely will.”

“We’ll speak to him about it when he gets back. Do you want to watch your new show in the meantime?”

“YES!”

Noctis immediately took off the lid of the box on his lap, and he grabbed the movie, thrusting it toward his father.

**Author's Note:**

> I’m not sure I’ll ever write the longer fic I thought up about a year ago, but this was pretty fun. Mama Amicitia would definitely have a more thought out name, though. I just kind of used the first flower name that came to mind for this.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! Let me know what you think! Comments, whether praise or criticism, kudos, and subscriptions are all deeply appreciated.


End file.
